Numerous designs of passive and active automotive occupant restraint systems are known for enhancing occupant protection in the event of a vehicle crash. Passive systems such as inflatable restraints such as air bags and automatically deployed seat belt systems are known. Active seat belt systems have been use for many decades and are manually deployed by the occupant. The conventional seat belt system uses three-points of connection with the vehicle structure and incorporates a lap belt section for engaging the occupant's lower torso and a shoulder belt section for engaging the occupant's upper torso. The seat belt restrains excursion of the occupant in the event of a vehicle impact or rollover event. In order to enhance the comfort and convenience provided by the seat belt system, retractors are normally used which permit the belt webbing to be extracted from and retracted onto the retractor, allowing movement of the occupant while maintaining the belt in close contact with the occupant. An inertia sensitive actuator locks the retractors when an impact or rollover event is detected, preventing free extraction of webbing in that vehicle condition.
Conventional three-point belt systems may use a single seat belt retractor for storing the seat belt which is used with a sliding latch plate. When fastening the belt, the occupant grasps the latch plate, inserts it to the buckle and the single retractor, usually coupled to the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt, takes up slack in the webbing while allowing movement for comfort and convenience of the occupant. In some seat belt systems, particularly those used in luxury vehicles, a two-retractor system is provided. For these systems, the latch plate is fixed to the webbing and separate upper and lower belt retractors are provided for the shoulder belt and lap belt sections, respectively. These systems do not require the latch plate to slide along the webbing.
Seat belt pretensioners are often used which, upon the detection of a condition leading to an imminent impact or rollover, or in the event of an actual vehicle impact or rollover, cause seat belt webbing to be automatically and forceably retracted to tighten the belt against the occupant. Such pretensioning can improve seat belt system performance. Electric motors may be used for so-called pre-pretensioning when an accident condition is detected. These systems are reversible so that the pretensioning effect can be reversed when the accident situation is no longer present. When immediate and powerful pretensioning action is required, for example upon the occurrence of a crash, gas assisted pretensioning devices are typically used. Two general types are used; a roto pretensioner is actuated by a gas source and uses a series of balls or other actuated devices which engage with the spool of a retractor to forceably cause retraction rotation of the spool. Another type uses a gas source acting on a piston in a cylinder to pull down a seat belt anchorage upon a deployment signal.
In addition to the advanced types of seat belt systems described previously, motor vehicles are now frequently equipped with side impact air bags. These devices include lower torso air bags types often mounted to the vehicle door or B-pillar trim, or mounted directed to the seat. These devices are often used in conjunction with side curtain air bags or other devices for restraining the upper torso and head of the occupant upon a side impact event.
For deployable safety devices including the pretensioners and air bags described previously which are examples of pyrotechnic safety device (PSDs), a crash sensor is coupled with a crash controller which has electrical signal firing lines which send crash signals to the various PSDs. Each of these firing lines requires dedicated vehicle wiring and separate inflator devices for creating inflation or deployment gas. Multiples of these PSDs add cost and complexity to the motor vehicle occupant restraint system.
In accordance with the present invention, vehicle components and system simplicity is achieved through combining a seat belt pretensioning system with an air bag, preferably a side impact air bag. In a preferred embodiment, both the side impact air bag and seat belt system are mounted to a motor vehicle seat. The seat belt system may include a single retractor for the shoulder belt section or a dual retractor system. A roto pretensioner is preferably used with one or both retractors, although other types of pretensioners can be used. A side impact air bag is provided and the pretensioner and air bag are actuated through a common gas source controlled by a single firing line. Significant efficiencies in design, weight, and reduction of complexity are provided by use of the common inflator with its single firing line to actuate both the pretensioner and side impact air bag. In another embodiment of this invention, two retractors are provided, each having roto pretensioners. As in the prior example, both the retractor pretensioners and side impact air bag are actuated by a common inflation gas source.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.